Zara Aziz: We have no choice but to ballot on industrial action

By Dr Zara Aziz on the
24 May 2016

Of all the LMC motions that were discussed last week, perhaps the one that I have been the most passionate about is the capping of our workload. I did nine-hour days when I first became a GP partner five years ago. It seemed to work: I had more job satisfaction, enjoyed my spare time and had a clutter free mind.

I now work a 12-hour day, but it is the intensity of work which has been the greatest change of all. Patient problems are often less physical and more psychological or social – it is the inability as a GP to help patients with social care, housing shortages, debt or even lack of food that can be the most wearing.

Perhaps it is experience, cynicism or even burnout but I feel this more acutely now than I did five years ago.

My working day is not long enough for all that I need to complete just to keep my head above water. I also go in on my day off to do more admin - if I don’t, my working day would stretch even longer. My children are in bed and usually asleep when I come home - I play no role in their lives when I go to work.